Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must be ruthless in offloading players he does not see as part of his Manchester United rebuild.
United’s outgoings are just as important as their incomings as Solskjaer looks to free up space in the squad for more emerging talent.
One player who may now be surplus to requirements is Jesse Lingard, who has been with United in some capacity since joining the club’s academy as a boy.
The 27-year-old has endured a tough couple of seasons at Old Trafford and his lack of creativity in midfield has been repeatedly exposed when Solskjaer’s side come up against low-defensive blocks.
Lingard can be effective when United are pressing high up the pitch but his quality in possession lets him down. He has made 20 appearances in the Premier League this season, without registering a goal or an assist.
The arrival of the totemic Bruno Fernandes has relegated Lingard lower down Solskjaer’s pecking order and there’s every chance his United career could finally come to an end this summer.
And according to the a report by Miguel Delaney in the Independent, Lingard is already weighing up his options ahead of an Old Trafford exit.
It is claimed that Lingard has been in regular contact with ex-United teammates Ashley Young and Chris Smalling about life in Italy.
Lingard is said to be tempted by a move to the Serie A with AC Milan one of the clubs reportedly interested in him.
The midfielder has received more than his fair share of criticism from the United fanbase in recent months, but we would obviously wish him the very best if he did go ahead and make the switch to the continent.
Here’s what some United fans have made of the rumours linking Lingard with a move to Italy:
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